How much suspension is best for cycling? It all depends, and there’s no golden amount of suspension that all bikes should have. Some bikes don’t need any suspension at all, whilst others need a huge amount of suspension, or they just wouldn’t be able to do what they are built to do. It all depends on the bike. Some mountain bikes are built for fairly leisurely rides across country. What’s important for these kinds of bikes? Lightness, efficiency and ease of ride. As such, these kinds of bikes don’t usually have much suspension, quite simply because they don’t have to endure as much rough terrain.
At the other end of the spectrum you’ve got downhill bikes. These are bikes that aren’t just made for riding with their two wheels on the floor, as they are built to bounce, drop or jump. As such, they go through a lot, and so should have lots more suspension. Think about it: do you think suspension is important, if you’re planning on making a big drop?
Between these two ends of the spectrum, there are various degrees of suspension. Your mountain or trail bike will have roughly 4 to 6 inches of suspension travel. This is enough to handle rough terrain, and aid rider comfort over long rides..